A 1975 graduate of the University of California at Berkley, Woods previously has lived in Spain, Austria, Boston, Washington D.C. and San Francisco.? After her husband got a job at MSU in the early 1990s, Woods and her family moved to the city’s Bailey neighborhood and have remained ever since.?

Woods made a career in television, film production and writing screen plays. She worked for two major film festivals in Northern California before she began the East Lansing Film Festival in 1997.?

Woods recently sat down with The State News to discuss her candidacy.

Susan Woods: ”It’s one of the reasons I want to be on city council. I want to make sure the Park District goes forward in a comprehensive and thorough manner. I think that the city has become sensitive to the need for the citizens to have a voice in its development. With all the different input they have created, I think they are doing a very good job. I just want to make sure that is continued.”

SW: “There’s no real estate for another bar. It’s a problem. It is a real issue with East Lansing. … I think there are enough bars in East Lansing to satisfy the student population, so, therefore, this moratorium is really just another way of ensuring or to discourage new businesses coming, because it would be impossible to get another liquor license. We’re talking about a very dense area of bars and restaurants, and I just think it is a reasonable moratorium.”

SW: “I believe East Lansing is now at a tipping point. There is a whole new generation of young adults and young families coming in, and that, coupled with the young students that live here, makes me believe that we should make the town a little more dynamic. I think it is going to become denser; I think there will be more people moving into East Lansing as opposed to going out to the suburbs. … I want to find different ways of developing downtown and making East Lansing cooler — maybe lessening restrictions that are sometimes put on small businesses, and not only make it attractive for students, but also for students who want to stay in East Lansing after graduation.”

SW: “In terms of housing, I don’t think there is a need to bridge the gap. I think you should keep the students together. They want to be in the same area; create a density that’s closer to campus. What I would like is for the students to be a part of East Lansing, not just temporary residents. We enjoy that the students are kept in one area because we have less noise.”